Bridgeworlds: Deep Flux (17 page)

“What is this Gauntlet?” asked Misia.

 

Kasey shrugged, “It is the test by which they will find a
champion.”

Misia had been given Protos’ cloak which hid her wings as well
as it had his. She looked around as if seeing the world for the very first
time. Kasey could remember that feeling. It was refreshing to be able to
see the world as it was and not tainted with hate and anger.

Kasey and Misia followed the throng into the center of the city
to a main street. She could not make out the name of the street, but it
seemed to run through the whole city. The Raphad Guard led by Sabriel,
a five-foot tall golden praying mantis, cleared a path into the midst of
the crowd. The guards stood, each baring a flag with a different sigil: a
tower for the fallen King of Drakonage, a peacock for Queen Hope's
house, a gryphon for the House of Lurin, and finally a phoenix; the new
national emblem of all the seven kingdoms. Kasey looked down at her
armor and smiled at the phoenix symbol.

King Erestar Lurin and Queen Hope walked into the circle of
posted guards and sat on the street in the midst of the people. He wore
a new crown that was also in the shape of a rising phoenix. King Alagaar
stood upon one of his shoulders and on the other shoulder… some kind
of man-bull. Not a race that Kasey had seen before.

King Erestar smiled, “It gladdens my heart to see that so many
would turn out in defense of the realm. I have an announcement before
King Alagaar speaks to you about the Gauntlet.” At the word 'Gauntlet'
everyone cheered making King Alagaar smile.

Erestar waited for the noise to die down surveying the crowds
as he did. His eyes landed on Kasey and their gaze locked. He smiled at
her as if in recognition.
What?
He continued looking through the crowd
before he spoke, “There is a new province in Philos that will from this
day be known as Showradam. On my right shoulder is my new duke, he
is to be known as the Sheriff and he will rule over this province named
after his race. They are to be treated as my family and given respect
within my Kingdom. The province stands between us and Drakonge, this
was at their request so they are acting as protectors. Then Erestar
looked to King Alagaar.

King Alagaar cleared his throat. “Let me be clear, this is no
child’s matter. Those who survive the Gauntlet will be the soldiers of
the seven kingdoms, our line of defense against the Drakoni or any
other enemy that threatens us all. The Gauntlet, therefore, can be fatal.
Those who enter the Gauntlet shall do so at their own risk. Those who
seek only to be soldiers will find it less fatal than those seeking the
Championship. I will tell you nothing more about the Gauntlet except
that all who still wish to enter need to gather in the Cathedral of Lake
City now.”

Several people in the crowd booed and many who came did not
enter the giant sized cathedral. Once there they sent their Kuon back to
the house north of Lake City, Kasey and Misia were the first ones in the
Cathedral.

Several hundred people of all races filed in after them. The
doors were shut and the candles went out. There were several screams,
but Kasey was almost sure she knew what was going on. This was their
entrance to the Gauntlet. Kasey prayed and the natural light that she
normally gave off became ten times as bright lighting the entire
Cathedral. She looked at Misia, “be ready to have to fly.”

As all of the focus and attention was on Kasey, she took
advantage to maybe help some of those who were disoriented. People
shielded their eyes as she walked by, “Be ready for anything and
welcome to the Gauntlet,” she said in the most authoritative voice she
could manage. As if in response to Kasey's voice, the floor went out
from under them all. It was as if the support beams had been removed.
Some Nepsah and Gabad took flight in time to react and others fell to
the darkness below with splashing sounds.

Kasey immediately let her wings burst into flames.
Who is going
to believe them anyway right?
As Misia spread her angelic wings from
under the cloak she wore. Misia smirked, “They wasted no time at all
did they?”

Kasey nodded, “It is an urgent matter.”

A Gabad with long dark blue hair, purple skin, and a bright
orange glow about him flew to Kasey and Misia and bowed, “I am Tifus
Gabadam, and I do believe that you ladies have already proven that you
will survive this place if it is possible.”

They both bowed their heads to him.

“May I join your party? I’m not sure that there are rules here,
but it seems there is always strength in numbers,” he said in a humble
tone.

Misia started to object but Kasey interrupted her, “Of course
Tifus. You are more than welcome. I am Kasey and this is my daughter
Misia.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Not many mothers would let their
children enter such a perilous place.”

 

Kasey shrugged, “I would rather allow for her to enter than have
her do it behind my back where I cannot protect her.”

 

Misia looked annoyed, “I am right here you know.”

 

Kasey looked at her and laughed. “We best not let them get too far
ahead while we still have the advantage.”

 

Kasey dove into the darkness lighting the way as she went.
“What I wouldn’t give for a few dozen of Omar’s gadgets.”
7
Back to the Maze
Omar woke on the floor of his room covered in dried sweat.
What came over me?

 

Sometime in the night he had clenched his fists so tight that his
fingers dug into his palms.
I am not this person.

He got up, a bit dizzy and walked to his shower turning it on.
Hot water poured over him as steam rose through the bathroom. He
finished washing up and then went to his desk to look for ideas of
where he would go. There he found a note attached to some kind of
child’s bracelet. The bracelet was covered in wires and circuits but it
was so small that would fit only a child.

Omar opened the letter and read it. “Myles?” he said softly as
he read. He laughed, “Of course you are alive, you dirty old cheat. You
would cheat even death his wages wouldn’t you?” Omar shook his head
as he read on, and picked up the small device. Then Omar’s mind went
into overdrive. This was what he needed, a project that he could pour
himself into.

He rushed to an emergency solar powered intercom that he had
built over the years. He pressed the button, “Peeloff, get up here and
bring your technical gear.”

Within 30 minutes Peeloff rolled in from the elevator riding a
remote control car that pulled a trailer behind it. He had excelled in
learning technology. The remote control car was something Omar had
brought from earth, but Peeloff had modified it to fit his purposes.

Omar handed the bracelet to him. "Figure out how it works and
then make it so it still works and fits on my wrist."

Peeloff only nodded as he got to work right away.
It’s time to go
back to Earth. With this I can get whatever kind of project funding I want
and restock on materials.
Omar really didn’t even need to test it as he
had seen Myles teleporting in the battle.
But how did he survive that
sword wound?

The Magi had found that the smaller races were great for
working on technology because of their little hands. In no time, Peeloff
had extended the clasp of the bracelet so that it would fit around
Omar’s arm. “A bit of a warning before you…”

Before Peeloff could continue, Omar snapped it on and two
needles shot out from the bracelet, puncturing his arm. At first he tried
to rip them off but that was more painful than leaving them in. A
moment later Omar fell to the ground and started seizing.

Peeloff approached him making sure he was ok but did not
intervene. Instead, he let him ride it out. When Omar was done seizing,
he felt an awareness that he hadn’t had before. He could actually
calculate the distance from himself to the wall in exact mathematical
measurements. “It must be embedded into the neurological system of
the host,” said Omar with a look of fascination.

Peeloff nodded, “That would explain the seizure.”

Omar sighed, “Hopefully I have no brain damage from that, but
from what I can tell it only helped me have a better awareness.” He
could calculate size, distance, and range as easily as he could add one
and one. He looked down at his arm. “Ok, so how does it work?”

Omar looked out at the balcony and then thought,
I want to be
there.
It was as if some kind of connection had been made between him
and the balcony. It all happened very fast but Omar was able to discern
that for a moment there was no open space between him and the
balcony. All the space was filled with something (it was as if everything
was part of one great solid mass making them parts of the same thing)
and it connected him to the balcony letting him be in two places at once
for a millisecond and then he was only on the balcony. Peeloff yelled in
excitement, “Yes!”

Omar shook his head, “It’s very dizzying, but I imagine you
adjust.” He sighed. “I hate using something when I don’t understand
how it works." He thought about the portal to Musterion from earth,
being injected with the blood of a superior race, and now having this
thing linked to his brain. "I guess that is becoming a trend for me.”
Science was something to be analyzed and tested. All of these rash
decisions were not made in a scientific manner but out of urgent
necessity.

Omar pulled his sleeve over the device effectively hiding it. He
looked up with a smile. “Thank you, Peeloff. You never saw this device. “

 

He smiled, “What device”

 

Omar nodded to him as he left the room and got in the
elevator.

Grabbing all of the provisions that had been packed for him the
night before, Omar went to the room where he had been storing the
motorcycle. He mounted, grabbing the handles and then thought,
I
want to be in the inner garden of the palace in Loefel Meren
. For a split
second he could see his room overlaid by a transparent garden, then
the room faded and the garden became more of a solid reality.

Long ago Omar had added a light bending invisibility device to
the frame of the motorcycle. He activated it rendering it invisible to
anyone who did not have his monocle. As he walked out of the garden,
several Miyka nobles looked at him in shock. Omar approached the first
servant that he could find.

He bowed politely and said, “Please tell her Grace that Omar is
here to see her on urgent business. I will be waiting in the garden.”

He had not seen Queen Elizabeth since before the Battle of
Epher. He did not wait long before she rushed into the garden. To see a
Queen rush in all her regal attire was an oddity, but he knew that she
was no ordinary Queen. He had kept the secret that she was a halfbreed for centuries helping to create trust and a great alliance between
Loefel Meren and the Magi. He had seen her act “un-queenly” before,
but normally only when he brought Queen Ariana with him to visit.
Those two were like sisters and, when together, liked to cause a little bit
of mischief.

When she reached Omar, he began to speak but was taken
aback by the violent hug that she gave him. He had always tried to
ignore his attraction to the Queen because he knew it would go
nowhere. They had become very good friends in the past, but physical
contact was rare between Queens and commoners; especially such a
brazen hug as this. Omar laughed nervously.

She put her fists on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.
“There were rumors that you were dead. You should have let me know
you were okay.”

He tried to speak but was interrupted again, this time by his
own mind. The mention of death brought on flashing images of the
blimp plunging and erupting all around him as it made impact with the
ground. Then images of the Beast in the Emerald Forest caused fear to
wash over him in waves.

She touched his arm with concern on her face, “You are okay,
aren’t you?”

Her touch helped him shake it, and he cleared his throat, “None
must know I was here. As far as the tower knows, I am there leading
them. I had a brush with death and it was… traumatic.”

She nodded, “I too had a brush with death on the field of Epher.
I would love to tell you about it, but it seems you have a pressing
matter.”

Omar nodded, “I am sorry to come in such a hurry and without
warning. I need to speak to the King.”

 

She gave him a sideways look. “Why? I am sure I can help you.”

 

He shook his head, “No, I need his help and his secret library.”

 

“How do you know about the library?”

 

“It is coveted by Akana world-wide,” said Omar.

 

“Of course, but it is supposed to be a secret," she laughed
briefly before looking more serious. "Omar, the King has fallen ill.”

He nodded respectfully, “Just please tell him I am here and that
I have urgent need of his library. Your Grace, I may be able to buy my
sister more time. I need to find a way back to Earth, and from what I
have heard of the contents of his library, it holds all of the secrets of
Soterion. I am hoping one of his books might lead me to the entrance to
Musterion from here.”

“I will go and speak to him”, she said leaving with as much
speed as she had come. Omar really hoped he would not have to find
the library on his own and break into it.

A few minutes later Queen Elizabeth returned with a large key
in hand. She beckoned for him to follow her. He pushed the invisible
bike as he did. She asked no questions about what it was; she just
walked quickly down the hall opening the door to an empty room.
Leading him to one corner, she pushed on the wall opening it up to
another room dimly lit by windows above. Omar followed her in, and
she shut the secret passage behind them. On either side of an entrance
were two lions each having four wings. They were still and made no
movement or sound but they were so realistic that Omar was not sure
that they were statues. Omar walked to the door. Queen Elizabeth gave
him the key so he unlocked it and entered the room. The shelves of the
library reached up to twenty feet high and were made of cherry wood.
He walked in with the motorcycle alongside him as he looked around.
There were so many books.